This invention generally relates to the storage of blanking values for photometric instruments and, more specifically, to the long term (relatively speaking) storage and then retrieval of a plurality of different blanking values for plural tests being accomplished in an automated chemistry system, such system not having a computer memory for storage of blanking values.
The need and use of blanking solutions, standards, comparison values, etc. for photometric instruments, such as commonly used in manual, semi-automatic and automated systems that analyze liquid and gas samples is well known in the art, as are the problems and limitations of existing blanking arrangements. U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,995 teaches an analog arrangement for storing only one blanking value for a relatively simple photometer. Complex and expensive automated chemistry systems normally contain a computer, the memory portion of which can be used for storage and retrieval of blanking values.
A problem arises when the photometric instrument or analysis system requires more than that conveniently provided by blanking storage according to U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,995 or the like but does not possess and cannot afford a computer.